


You Don't Need a License to Drive a Penguin

by AstraBabe



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Cute, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Humor, Oneshot, Penguin Sledding, Racing, Wives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-18 19:08:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28623066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AstraBabe/pseuds/AstraBabe
Summary: Lin and Kya are in the South Pole coming back from a walk when an otter-penguin steals Lin's backpack. Shenanigans ensue!
Relationships: Kya x Lin, Kyalin, Lin Beifong/Kya II
Comments: 16
Kudos: 81





	You Don't Need a License to Drive a Penguin

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FyreArcana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FyreArcana/gifts).



> A prompt from tumblr! Thanks to Fyre for suggesting it.

Kya and Lin were bundled up in their snow clothes, making their way back from a nearby village. They had decided to visit the village’s smokehouse and bring back some delicious smoked salmon for dinner. They took the long way back, admiring the glow of the setting sun on the ice floes from the top of a tall hill. Walking further, they came across a gathering of otter-penguins. 

“Woah, look at them all!” Kya said.

Lin took the opportunity to set down her backpack containing their dinner and reached in the front pocket for some fish jerky. Just remembering the rich smell of the smoked salmon made her incredibly hungry, and she needed something to hold her over. 

She stood, chewing on the dried fish. Kya had normally made jerky for them both, but this time Lin did. _Doesn’t taste half bad_ , she thought.

“Hey, Lin,” Kya chuckled, “looks like you’ve got a little friend.” She pointed behind her wife to an otter-penguin nosing her backpack. 

“Shoo!” she exclaimed. Lin waved her hands at it, using her foot to push the pack away from the creature. 

The otter-penguin was not phased. It stood there for a second before waddling after the backpack.

“That is not for you!” Lin pulled her backpack into her arms, zipping the outer pocket.

Kya walked closer to Lin and crouched down.

“Hey there, little buddy,” she held her hand out, “are you hungry?”

The otter-penguin looked at Kya with wide inquisitive eyes. It sniffed her hand, its little black nose wrinkling and its whiskers grazing her mitten. Then, it made a happy little noise, patting its belly with its flippers.

Kya smiled at its cuteness.

“Aw, I’m sure we have some jerky to spare, little guy.” Kya looked up at Lin. “Isn’t that right, honey?”

“But I made these ones. Don’t you have any?” 

Kya frowned. 

“Fine, it can have _some_.” She shot the otter-penguin a look as if it could understand her pointed tone.

Lin knelt down, setting her pack beside her and reached into the side pocket for the dried fish. She then turned to Kya, giving her a handful of the stuff.

Kya offered it a piece. It gingerly licked it before taking the tough jerky into its mouth. It made a cute noise again before falling onto its back and shoving the rest of it into its mouth with its flippers.

“Its so cute.” Kya’s eyes just about sparkled. She rubbed and scratched its belly while it ate, occasionally offering it more jerky.

Lin looked around and noticed they had drawn a small crowd of the otter-penguins.

“Should we really be feeding these things?” Lin looked to Kya.

“Oh, its just one.” Kya waved her hand at Lin. “It can’t hurt.” She gave her last piece of jerky to their little friend.

“Can I give him one more, Lin?”

“ _One_ more,” Lin grumbled. Lin reached for her pack but did not feel it beside her, patting the snow with her glove.

“What the –“ she turned to see an otter-penguin a few feet away from her, pulling her backpack by one of its straps. 

“Hey!” Lin shouted. Kya turned to look. The crowd of otter-penguins dispersed at the commotion.

The otter-penguin with Lin’s backpack was startled, realizing he had been spotted. He fell onto his back, hoisting the pack onto his belly. It flailed its flippers to gain momentum and tipped down the slope.

Lin ran to the edge and looked down.

“My backpack!”

Kya got to her feet.

“Well never catch it if we run after it.” Kya said.

“What are we supposed to do then? Our dinner is in there!”

Kya looked around for a second before spotting the biggest otter penguin she’d ever seen.

“Follow me!”

Lin followed after Kya, stopping just in front of large penguin. Kya fished around in her own backpack, managing to find a stray piece of jerky at the bottom.

“Here, little otter-penguin! Here, friend!” Kya held out the last piece of jerky she had. 

Evidently, the big otter-penguin was a fan of food. He waddled over faster than his little feet could carry, tripping onto his belly right in front of Kya. She threw him the dried fish to distract him.

In one fluid motion, Kya rucked up her parka, swung her leg over the penguin, and sat down.

“Hop on!” Kya said.

“ _What?_ ”

“ _Get on the penguin, Lin!_ ” 

Lin obeyed, moving quickly. She sat on the otter-penguin’s back right behind Kya. She wrapped her arms around Kya’s waist and rested her chin on her shoulder.

Kya looked at Lin and grinned. 

“Yip yip!” Kya squeezed her heels into the otter-penguin’s side. It squeaked in surprise, lurching forward, and sending them down the slope.

Lin felt the blood rush to her head as they went over the slope. They propelled down at an alarming speed, the snow providing no resistance against the plump belly of the penguin. 

The further they went, the faster they slid. The wind whipped their faces, throwing Kya’s hood down and letting her hair catch the breeze. 

“Do you see it?” Lin asked with her eyes squeezed shut.

“No, but I’m following his trail!” Kya leaned forward, pressing the penguin to go faster.

Lin peeked and noticed the thieving penguin’s trail made a sudden bend in front of something.

“Rock!” Lin shouted.

Kya shifted her hips abruptly to the right, sending the penguin careening around the ice rock at an angle, snow flying up in the air behind them. Lin looked back at their wake.

“ _Did you just drift a fucking penguin!_ ”

Kya only laughed. 

“Want to see me do it again?”

“No!”

She shifted her hips quickly to the left this time, sending the penguin drifting in the other direction. Kya was having fun with this.

They were almost down the slope now when Lin spotted the thief. He was halfway to the edge of the ice.

“Look!” Lin said. “If he makes it to the water, we’ll never catch him!” 

“Not unless we take a _short cut_.” A dangerous smile crossed Kya’s face.

“Short cut?” Lin gulped.

Kya pressed her heels into the penguin’s side again and shifted her bodyweight to the right. The otter penguin took a sharp turn, veering away from following the little thief’s tracks. Lin looked ahead, but didn’t see any noticeable short cut. It all looked like the same old snow.

That is, until Lin could feel the slope steepend and make out a little ledge that tilted up. Kya had bent a ramp out of the ice.

“Hold on!” Kya yelled. Lin gripped Kya even tighter.

Kya leaned forward as the penguin slid off the ramp, shooting up and out. Their bodies lifted slightly off the otter-penguin while they were airborne. Kya raised one of her fists and shouted in exhilaration.

Lin kept her eyes closed the whole time until they landed hard on the snow. When she opened her eyes, they were right behind the little thief! They were gaining on him, eventually overtaking him in speed.

Kya shifted, making another hard turn so they could stop right in front of the other penguin. But, the ground had transitioned from snow to ice, sending them spinning out. Kya lost control of their otter-penguin, and both she and Lin fell off. They slid splayed-out on the ice until coming to a stop. The thieving penguin stopped just short of them.

After a moment, Kya stood up and brushed the snow off her parka. 

“You okay?” Kya said. She reached out her hand to help her wife up.

“Just dizzy.” Lin rubbed her head. She looked over to their penguin companion they had ridden down the hill. He was on his back in a dizzy daze.

Then, both Kya and Lin looked down at the otter-penguin in front of them. He had been staring at them, holding Lin’s backpack to his belly with his four flippers.

“Time to give that back, buddy.” Kya folded her arms. 

“Give it here.” Lin added, crouching down.

The little thief pushed the pack of his belly and squabbled to his feet. They watched him run to the edge of the ice and dive into the ocean. Lin picked up her pack. 

“Well…we got our dinner back.” Lin said, a bit stunned.

“Didn’t you like your first-time penguin sledding? I would’ve made you try it some day or another.” Kya took Lin’s hand and began to guide her back up the hill. “I’m the best there is in the whole South Pole.”

“Really?” Lin smirked, shaking off her daze.

“Yep, and next time, I’ll show you how to pop a wheelie.”

“You can do that on a penguin?”

Kya laughed as they trudged through the snow.

**Author's Note:**

> Kya said "MULTI TRACK DRIFITNG!"


End file.
